Minnesota Orchestra: Links

Though I’ve occasionally shared a few links on my Facebook page, I wasn’t actually planning on addressing this topic here on Giocosity. But because there are so many articles out there from so many sources, I’ve been having a tough time getting my head around it all. So here’s my attempt to at least organize them. Please bear in mind that this is by no means a comprehensive list.

Not sure what’s going on? I think many can say the same. So many people have been talking about the lockout and occasional “negotiations” between the management and the musicians that it’s probably hard to keep track of what’s going on. Even Senator George Mitchell has been called in to help iron out a deal, though many say he had a much easier time with brokering a deal in Northern Ireland.

I lived in Spring Lake Park, a suburb of Minneapolis, when I was a kid. It was probably my favorite place to live growing up. Despite how cold it could be during winter, I have always spoken fondly of my time there. I was a kid though. Kids didn’t care about the cold. We just bundled up and went out to play.

Musicians with the Minnesota Orchestra – those who still remain – would also like to just go out to play, but they can’t. They’re locked out by management and have been for quite a while now. Based on everything I’ve been reading, it’s becoming more and more apparent that the orchestra management dug their trenches long before “negotiations” ever began, thus obviously planning for a very long and drawn out lockout.

All people want is for the musicians to be able to play again without having to be the only side making concessions, such as a 35-40% paycut before being allowed to the table. Isn’t bringing both sides to the table the whole idea between negotiation? Since when does one side have to give up everything before being invited in the door?

Negotiations, good faith negotiations, should be what’s required once both sides are at the table. THEN – and only then – will each side agree to what’s being gained and what’s being given up. One side should not require the complete capitulation of the other side just to meet them at the table to begin with – which is what seems to be more obviously the case here. It implies management is scared. They’ve already admitted to not wanting to give up leverage.

At what point will management admit that their power play is having a negative impact on the orchestra? Everyone else has already figured that out.

Here are links to various articles, letters and blogs by reputable folks who have written about this very long, and drawn out situation. What do you think?

And if you’re looking for pretty much everything else that’s ever been written on this situation, check out Drew McManus’s website, Adaptistration, and Emily E Hogstad’s website, Song of the Lark. They have both discussed everything and everything about the orchestra business. While I only link a few specific articles below, it’s well worth your effort and time to either conduct a search of “MOA” within Adaptistration or visit the Chronological listing of Emily’s articles I’ve linked for you.

This entire situation is something that should never have happened, yet it has. Several musicians have already left so the orchestra is not the same as it was. The music director, Osmo Vänskä, has advised that he will leave in the next couple of weeks if an agreement is not reached. There are currently no job postings listed on the Minnesota Orchestra’s website, despite being short several musicians who have resigned in the last several months. I think that’s rather revealing in itself, don’t you?

Update 01 September 2013: The patrons and donors who want to save the orchestra now have a great advocacy website and an active facebook page. I invite you to check them both out.